Death Note FanFic
by Xyph
Summary: A brilliant high-school student reminiscent of Yagami Light finds a Death Note. A new game begins.
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

A dry cackle filled the skies. Above the clouds were three figures, nothing more than shadow to those who may have been looking from below. The clouds from which the figures hid were so dense, that it was surprising that the three of them managed to face each other as if the skies were clear.

'You sure you want to do that? You'll be at a disadvantage now, Krak' cackled the third figure. The figure's laugh was dry and seemed to resound in the empty skies; the clouds began to move faster.

'Shut your mouth, Narg. I'm still going to win this game' growled the second figure. He pointed a long, jagged finger at the Earth below. 'The human world is unpredictable. Just watch. I'll win.'

'You took so long to pick, yet you're starting over. You won't win like this. Our counts have already started' drawled the first figure in a low metallic voice.

'Just worry about your own counts. I'm not repeating myself again' replied Kark.

'Ah, he's right about that, Medo. Don't forget that you're still losing to me' cackled Narg.

'Just look at them all down there … how boring,' Medo, ignored Narg. 'Hurrying and stopping, hurrying and stopping. They never stop scurrying. If it wasn't for us … the world would be… quite boring' cackled Medo.

'It would be, if not for our game' agreed Krak.

And at this, all three figures began cackling, filling the sky with what could have been heard as thunder from below.

**Chapter One – A Bleak World; A Dead World**

The sky was grey. The clouds hid the sun and seemed to silence the world. There wind refused to blow and even the dead leaves that lay crushed from months of heavy snow, refused to move.

If only the world could always be still and peaceful like this, thought Sky. Grey, silent and still. Sky sighed at these thoughts as he gazed out the window of his classroom. The world never stayed the same. Everything was subjected to god's will, decided by some greater power. People died each day, were cheated and moulded by that which they had no control. The world was disgusting, disgusting because the Gods were inadequate. If only he had the power to change it …

The bell rang and Sky's thoughts were interrupted. The sound of scraping chairs and excited students pierced his silence and sent a tremor of anger through him.

'Don't forget to complete chapter three by tomorrow' announced the teacher. He gestured at the blackboard but no one took notice.

'I think everyone's a little too excited about the weekend to notice, Mr. Shinta' said Sky with a smile. He was still sitting at his desk by the window busy copying down the homework written on the chalkboard. The class was nearly empty now.

'If only my other students were as dedicated as you' said Mr. Shinta with a shake of his head.

'Well, everybody's different and we all have different goals. It's understandable for people to be blinded from the importance of school' stated Sky, still smiling.

'Maybe you should be a teacher one day, Sky. You seem to understand students better than me'

Sky laughed. 'Well I am a student you know' he said as he packed his books and headed for the door. Mr. Shinta chuckled. 'Nearly forgot. Well, have a good weekend, Sky.'

Sky made his way down the hallway. The school was quieter now that most of those eager to leave had left. He headed towards the stairwell, but something strange slowed his pace. He turned around and, guided by some hidden sense, looked at the third floor balcony in time to see someone topple off.

Eyes widening, he began to shout a warning even though he knew it was too late. His heart plummeted as he began running to the balcony and adrenaline rushed through him. He had barely taken two steps when he heard the sickening thud that meant whoever was falling had reached his end. When he reached the balcony and looked down, he was sickened.

The floor was splattered with blood where the body had landed and the body lay still, its arms and legs were spread at an odd angle. For the a moment, he thought he saw the body twitch.

That's impossible he thought. He fell down three floors, there's no way he could be alive and if he was … Sky shuddered at the thought of how much pain he must be in. His hands had grabbed the railing and were sweating madly. Was it fear? Sky's mouth felt dry as people began gathering around the body. Someone screamed.

Panic flooded Sky. He was the first one at the scene, would he be blamed? He was standing at the very spot from which the body fell, he would definitely be questioned at the very least. I'm innocent though, he reasoned. They would believe me. Had it been any other student they would definitely be suspicious. He began to calm down. His grip on the rail softened.

Still, it'll be safer not to be noticed he thought. He crouched down so that he was hidden. Then he noticed something beside him. It was a backpack. Just as he thought it would stupid to touch anything, he noticed something out of place. A jet black notebook stood out against the red, opened backpack. Death Note.

What kind of an idiot would bring a notebook labelled 'Death Note' to school ? He heard shouts from below and more screams that echoed up to the balcony. He wasn't sure why, but something about the notebook held him there. He had to leave, people would come. His hand reached for the notebook and his hand trembled until at last his thumb and index finger gripped it tightly. There was nothing to keep him rooted there anymore. He quickly slid the notebook into his bag and bolted from the scene, down the stairs and out the school.

Sky couldn't get the scene out of his mind. Again and again he pictured the body crumpled on the floor. He heard the thud of the body smashing against the floor again and again. What was worst was that each time the scene replayed it became crisper, sharper, clearer. It was almost as if he was right beside the student when it happened. He didn't know why the scene continued to haunt him; he didn't even know who the kid was.

Deep in thought, Sky didn't notice that he his feet had carried him all the way home. For the first time in a long time, Sky was oblivious to the wind that had begun blowing, scattering dead leaves and shaking the trees as if trying to drag him back to the world he so detested. For a moment, Sky gazed at house, then at the grey skies, deep in thought.

What's wrong with me, he wondered. Death is natural. People die everyday in this world. Some people even deserve it. I can't let such a trivial thing bother me. I can't be this weak. Only the weak cry for the dead.

This time when the scene of the suicide flashed through his mind, he smiled. What a fool to choose death when there was still life to live. Having conquered the haunting death, Sky finally made his way into the house that was his home.

'I'm home' he announced as he closed the door behind him. The hallway was dark; the lights hadn't been turned on yet. The house was silent and empty. No one must be home yet, thought Sky as he tossed his jacket onto a rack next to him and made his way up the stairs to his room.

Sky relaxed as he reached his room and kicked off his shoes. He tossed his bag next to his computer desk in the corner by the window and slumped over to his bed. The familiar security of being in his room in the dark, and the warmth of his clean bed sheets washed away Sky's thoughts. He closed his eyes and gave himself a few seconds to rest and clear his mind before heading over to his computer. Then he remembered it. The Death Note.

He retrieved it from his bag and gently lay it on his desk in front of him.

He was in such a hurry that he hadn't had a chance to examine the notebook properly. He cursed himself now for taking it. If they examined the bag, one of his friends or family might eventually notice its absence. He didn't know why he took the stupid thing at all. Yet as he studied the notebook, he couldn't help but feel that there was something special about it. There was something disturbing about having titled a notebook, 'Death Note'.

He picked up the notebook and held it firmly in his hands, taking in every detail. The thickness was about that of a standard 150 page notebook he guessed. Apart from being titled 'Death Note', the front cover was bare. He turned it over in his hands and noted that the back was blank. Apart from its odd title, there was nothing at all unusual about the notebook. Yet something drew him to it.

He opened the notebook and began reading the first page:

How to use:

-The human whose name is written in this note shall die.

He stopped there. 'The human whose name is written in this note shall die'? He didn't know whether or not to laugh. Certainly there was something comical about such a proclamation, yet Sky felt a tremor of fear and excitement run through his body. He was more interested in the notebook now than he had ever been

-This note will not take effect unless the writer has the person's face in their mind when writing his / her name. Therefore people sharing the same name will not be affected.

-If the cause of death is written within 40 seconds of writing the person's name it will happen.

-After writing, the cause of death, details of the death should be written in the next 6 minutes and 40 seconds.

He stopped reading again. There were rules? He flipped the page to find another long list of rules, each carefully and precisely written. For a brief moment, Sky was overcome with shock. The moment was short-lived though, as he closed abruptly closed the notebook and chuckled. Of course, only a suicidal maniac would have such a thing in his bag thought Sky. A notebook that kills people, how ridiculous.

The sky outside was darkening now that night had begun to fall and Sky interrupted his thoughts for a moment to turn on his desk lamp. The light flickered before casting a strong ray of light that splashed over the desk and the walls, providing the only source of illumination in the dark, quiet room.

He tilted his head back against the chair and chuckled a bit. Killing was the ultimate power bestowed upon humans by god. To be able to kill was to be able to destroy. The power to destroy was the power to create.

The notebook couldn't be real. If the power to kill was so readily available, whoever it was that had this note would have been able to become something akin to a God … The thought of being able to kill with a simple movement of the wrist was too grand for Sky to believe.

'To think … to simply write a name … and remove that person from the face of this Earth … forever' whispered Sky to himself silently. If only he had such a power … Sky suddenly sat up and grabbed the notebook tightly, an almost manic look in his eye.

He had that power though did he not … He had it right in front of him … a means to kill whoever he wanted … at any time he wanted … however he wanted. He had a tool for which he could carve a new world. He started to chuckle a bit at the thought. Then he laughed.

The notebook couldn't be real he decided. The world didn't work that way. 'But what if it did?' the question lingered in his head. 'What if it worked?'

He drew his eyes to the paper that almost seemed to beckon him. All he had to do to find out … was write a name. A name of someone he recognized. His hands shook from excitement as he reached towards his pencil holder to grope blindly for a pen, unable to look away from the note. He nearly knocked the whole case over until his fingers finally grasped a plastic pen, but all he noticed at that moment was the Death Note that lay before his eyes.

Wait, he told himself. Whose name should I write down? I can't just kill anybody. Nor are there that many people I want to kill … He bit his lip as he concentrated. Right now he could potentially have the means to reshape the world. There were bullies at his school and some of them annoyed him to no end. Not that they ever bothered Sky himself; they refrained from targeting those they knew they would be unable to control, Sky had analyzed. Not that there hadn't been attempts …

At the same time, he had to consider the consequences. Killing someone wasn't something that could be so easily dismissed. People would take notice, a young teenager suddenly victim of a devastating heart attack … No, to be safe he would need to try it on someone older. The bell rang.

Sky froze. He was snapped out of his thoughts and dragged back into the confines of his darkened bed room. His euphoria left him as he considered the consequences. He was planning to kill. His hands began to sweat. Someone was at the door. The bell rang again. The sound of the bell reverberated through the empty house and shook Sky to the core. He was planning murder and someone was here at the door.

No, calm down he told himself as he headed towards the door. It's probably just mother, back from work he told himself. Besides, he hadn't done anything yet. What could they prove? The notion of him being caught for doing something he hadn't done was laughable. Despite the logic of it all though … he couldn't help but feel a little nervous as he bounded down the stairs. He noticed that it was beginning to become difficult to see in the darkness and he flipped on the hallway lights. He put on a smile as he opened the door, revealing a man who looked about 40, or so Sky assumed from the thin streaks of grey in his short, curly brown hair. The man nearly six feet tall, wore a grey business suit along with his smile.

'Good day, sir. I'm from Neo telecommunications, we've phoned you before and we have you registered in our data base as being potentially interested in our services.'

'Sorry, but my parents aren't available right now and I'm afraid I don't know much about what services we've purchased. Perhaps if you leave your name and a number I can have my mother contact you tonight?' asked Sky politely.

'Of course, no problems there! Just have your mother ask for Joe Lannerig and you can contact us at this number' smiled the salesman as he reached into his chest pocket. His fingers shuffled around in the pocket for a moment before he replied, 'So sorry, I seem to have misplaced our business cards … You wouldn't happen to have a pen and paper to jot down our number would you? I'm terribly sorry' apologized the salesman.

'No, it's not a problem at all' replied Sky as he began scribbling down the man's name and number.

'Thank you for your time, I'll be on my way now' said the man as he left and began his way down the driveway.

Sky quickly closed the door and turned the lock. He leaned against the door and sighed. That was over with. He felt angry with himself now. Getting so riled by something so insignificant … it was just a sales person. I can't let myself fall to such weakness he commanded himself. He gave himself a shake and began his way upstairs. His foot had barely touched the third step when he heard a man scream from the outside.

Sky's eyes widened as he realized that the Death Note hadn't left his hands since he left his bedroom. Had the man seen it? Sky bit his lip nervously. His right hand clutched the notebook and pen tightly while he held his forehead with his left. Realization dawned on him. He had written the mans name. He had seen the mans face.

His first instinct was to rush outside to check whether the man was still alive, but he stopped himself before his foot could reach the bottom step of the stairs he stood so firmly rooted on. If I go out there right now someone might see me with the Death Note. Although no one would know what it is without reading it, he couldn't take that chance. He wouldn't make the mistake of carrying the note with him in the eyes of common people again. At the same time, it might be suspicious to stay in the house. No, he told himself. It's natural for person to be afraid upon hearing a scream from the streets. There could be a large number of reasons for such a thing.

Sky turned and bolted up the stairs into his room. He hurried over the window next to his desk so quickly that his knee smashed into the desk and sent a jolt of pain through his leg. Cursing himself silently, he limped towards the window and peered outside.

The window had a perfect view of his driveway and he had no trouble pinpointing the source of the cry. The salesman lay dead upon his driveway, one hand over his chest. His suitcase had fallen and opened, scattering its contents into the howling wind. Sky opened his notebook and looked at the name he had written. The Death Note was real. Sky smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two – Decision Made; The Brilliant Friend

**Chapter Two – Decision Made; The Brilliant Friend.**

Sky lay awake that night. Even though the blackness of night had hidden the bleak ceiling of his bedroom from view, Sky continued to gaze intently, deep in thought. The notebook was perfect. His mother had screamed when she saw the body of the salesman crumpled at the end of their driveway on her way home; an ambulance had been called and police contacted, but it was all fruitless. He wasn't caught. He couldn't be caught. He wasn't even suspected. Paramedics had confirmed that Joe Lannerig had indeed perished as the victim of a severe heart attack. He grinned in the darkness as he recalled his memories of the evening.

Sky couldn't believe how perfect the Death Note was. It was the ultimate weapon, the perfect tool. The evening's turn of events had demonstrated the impunity from which he could kill. There was no evidence; no marks, no fingerprints, no hair, nothing. There was nothing to link him to the murder. He wouldn't even have to be near his victims.

The power of the Death Note had made him smile more today than he had done for years. For the first time since Sky could remember, he was excited. Something different had happened today. Today had amused him. This day brought life back into him.

Day after day, Sky had fought boredom. The world was boring, disgusting and loud. It distracted him and at first, he hated it. Nothing ever changed. He would wake at the same time everyday; eat the same meals, made his way to the same school and for what? To take put up with having to learn with a group of idiots who couldn't grasp the simplest of concepts and to Sky's disgust, even teachers who had to be regularly corrected. When the afternoon was done, he was forced to seek amusement with idiots, friends who sought his intelligence. The day would soon end after that, only to repeat the next day. To him, life was nothing more than a slow endless cycle. Of course, he had to put up an act. Sky had no trouble smiling when politely correcting his teachers nor did he find difficulty in laughing along with his friends while taking part in their mundane activities like playing sports and chasing girls. He had to do this because society demanded it of him. It was unnatural to hate the world. It was unnatural to loath the world, no matter how twisted it became in his eyes. It was unnatural to be unhappy with life …

Sky quickly erased these thoughts as his mind trailed back to today's events. That was over though. He had found a way to satisfy himself at last. He would change the world with the Death Note, shape it to his liking, fix it and watch over it. No longer would the world be subjected to the will of a nameless god too cowardly to show itself and mend the world of its cracks, because Sky would do that. He would do what the gods themselves failed at: creating the perfect world.

Yet he knew he mustn't act hastily. He now had the power to kill and thus the power to control and rebuild; he had to pick his targets carefully. He had to think of a way to appeal to the masses and at the same time, win their favour. He would need to refrain from making any moves until he was sure of how he wanted his world to look like. For now, he would map it. The building he decided, could come after.

Sky left for school early the next morning. This time, he left with a smile on his face. A real smile.

'Hey, Sky, you look happy today'

Sky turned around to see his friends Patrick and Jack.

'Yeah, did u manage to get a girlfriend or something?" asked Jack with a grin.

'No… nothing happened' replied Sky with a smile. Sky tilted his neck and looked around before finally asking, 'Hey, where's Kyo, doesn't he usually walk to school with u guys?

'Hmm, I don't know, I haven't seen him' replied Patrick with a shrug.

'He probably caught a cold from walking Rin home last night or something. Or maybe some serial killer got them before they could make it home together' said Jack with an evil grin.

'Hey, come on now, that's mean, Jack' laughed Patrick. 'Don't be just jealous that he has a girlfriend and you don't'.

'That's a low blow' pouted Jack.

Sky laughed. 'Come on, lets get going, I'm sure Kyo's fine. He probably just left early today.'

School was noisy as usual. As they entered, the chatter of students and the slamming of lockers resounded in Sky's ears. The noise annoyed Sky, but he was adept at hiding it. He had done it successfully for years. He continued to joke with Patrick and Jack as they made their way to their class on the second floor. He was just telling them about the salesman that died outside his house last night when a scream from a nearby classroom pierced their ears.

Alarmed, Patrick and Jack froze for a moment in the hallway. Sky however, had rushed towards the classroom. Seeing Sky rush off, Jack and Patrick managed to snap out of it and followed, only to nearly crash into Sky who had abruptly stopped in the middle of the doorway.

The first thing Sky saw was the chemistry teacher Ms. Kita, sitting on the ground between two rows of desks, her face pressed against her hands. Two policemen were rolling yellow tape across a lab bench. Sky's eyes widened as he looked past Ms. Kita into an open cabinet under the lab bench. Next to him, Jack gasped. Patrick let out some sort of cry. All three of them had their eyes locked with the contents of the opened cabinet: a dead body.

One of the policemen finished jotting down notes on a notepad and slipped it into his chest pocket. He was the tallest of the three policemen at the scene and cast a dominating presence as he briskly strode across the classroom to the other two policemen who had just finished rolling out the tape.

'This is definitely a murder,' stated the policeman in a gruff voice. 'What's the situation?'

'The victim has been identified as a grade 11 student of this school. Her name is Katey Yuri and the cause of death is likely due to an impact on her temple. She's hasn't been dead long, somewhere between 3 – 6 hours ago' listed the shortest of the three. 'The strange thing about the situation Chief, is that the school wouldn't have been opened that early. There's also this strange smell and what appears to be a puddle of wax in the corner of the cabinet next to the victim. We've also found this seed tangled in the victim's hair' said the policeman as he showed the Chief a seed bagged in plastic. 'The murderer must have left in hurry, he didn't' even bother to try and clean up the blood stains on the ground even though he went through the trouble of trying to hide the body in the bench' said the officer as he gestured towards the stains. 'Wait a minute … what's this …' murmured the officer as he crouched down for a better look at the stain.

'There's some sort of mark in it' noted the second officer. 'And you're right about the smell, it's sour. I can't quite put my finger on what it is though …'

'At any rate, this murder happened not hours ago. It's possible that the murderer could still be in the school. Gather any suspects that don't have an alibi. That includes the school's chemistry teachers and other students who may have this class room as their home room and anyone else who has regularly used this room in the past day' commanded the Chief.

'I … I don't think that any of the students could be responsible …' croaked Ms.Kita. 'This room is always locked in the morning.'

'Grab the chemistry teachers then, will you? Hurry up!' barked the Chief. The Chief turned and noticed Sky and the others.

'And what are you three doing here so early in the morning? Class hasn't started yet as it?' questioned the Chief. 'Hey, Lark! Make sure you tape off the doorway too, we can't let any kids in here!' he commanded. 'You three, get in here for now.'

'We didn't do anything though' protested Jack.

'No, he's right. We've arrived at the scene of the crime at quite a suspicious time. He's just doing his job. Right, officer?' smiled Sky.

The Chief looked a little a taken back by Sky's polite cooperation. His wrinkled face softened for a second, but it wasn't long before he barked, 'that's right, and if any of you had anything to do with this, you're not getting away with it. Murder is a serious crime' he added dangerously.

Sky said nothing at that. He merely smiled and made his away across the classroom towards an empty chair and took a seat. Patrick and Jack followed suit. The Chief appeared satisfied with the results and he turned around to take out his notepad again.

Soon, five morbid and nervous looking teachers were ushered into the room by the third officer.

'Why are we here, none of us would have committed such an act!' protested one of the teachers Sky recognized as Mr. Reki, another chemistry teacher who looked about 30.

'Yeah, while we're terribly shocked that such a thing happened in our school, what makes you think a teacher would do such a thing? It could be anyone!' agreed Mr. Todo.

'In case you haven't noticed, there seem to be an awful lot of deaths happening at this school lately' growled the Chief in response. 'It hasn't even been a day and I'm already here again after that suicide case yesterday. So I suggest you do your duty as a teacher and cooperate instead of making excuses to cover your sorry ass.'

Mr. Todo fell silent.

'Anyways, I'll tell you why you five are here. We've narrowed down the suspects to you five, Mr. Reki, Mr. Todo, Mr. Shinta, Ms. Ito and Ms. Kita here who was the one who contacted us' read the Chief from his notepad. 'And these three who happened to show up at the wrong place at the wrong time' remembered the Chief as he jabbed his thumb at Sky and his friends who were seated against the wall. 'Nevertheless, all eight of you here are suspects and each potentially guilty' he said with a nasty grin.

At this, Mr. Reki fiddled with his glasses and Mr. Shinta tightened his grip on his belt and apart from Ms. Kita who still appeared to be in shock from discovering the body, Ms. Ito and Mr. Todo were the only ones that who seemed to stand unworried.

Sky was deeply intrigued with the present situation. At the same time, he was surprised that such a thing could happen at their school. As boring as it was, as disgusting as the world was, such a thing was unheard of. School was always to the students, a safe sanctuary. The girl's death didn't bother him in the slightest; yesterday's shock was still fresh in his mind and he was confident that he had conquered such meaningless fear. He utilised the same logic he had the day before; I'm an honour student, a trusted student who had nothing to do with this murder. I am innocent. He glanced at Patrick and Jack who looked increasingly worried now that the teachers had been called in. Jack still seemed to be staring at the body. The expressions of fear on their faces calmed Sky, but annoyed him at the same time. Weaklings, he thought. Are they actually worried? Are they scared? What fools, they had no reason to be.

If anything, the teachers were the only ones that should be worried. Sky often helped Mr. Shinta set up lab experiments and he knew full well that only teachers had the keys to the room and the cabinets. What was more suspicious was the way in which the body was disposed. No doubt a chemistry teacher panicked and did what they could to conceal the crime, not that they had done a good job.

Sky studied the teachers. Of the teachers, only Mr. Reki, Ms. Kita and Mr. Todo taught grade 11 chemistry. And no doubt the motive for such a crime would be something along the lines of a hidden affair or disagreement with a student's parent. He didn't see Ms. Kita as that type of person. No, likely Mr. Reki or Mr. Todo was the murderer. The school bell rang and Sky's thoughts were cut short as he returned to reality.

'You five will need to be questioned first, please take a seat along the wall we'll call you one by one. On that note, is there an office we can use so that we're not overheard?' asked the Chief. 'And you two, that body should have been taken care of already! Get to it!' shouted the Chief.

As the two officers bagged the body and prepared to leave, a strange boy holding tightly to a girl's hand walked through the door.

'What are you two doing here, this is a restricted area, get out!'

Sky's attention shifted to the door. His expression widened. Kyo?

'I'm Kyo and this is my girlfriend. I came late, but I heard something happened and that the police were having a bit of trouble, so I thought I'd drop by and help you out. I have some information that would probably assist you in your case.' He said this all confidently, with something of a tone of annoyance in his voice. His eyes quickly scanned the scene, lingering for a brief moment over the blood stains before making eye contact with Sky. 'Hey, Sky, what are you doing here?' he asked a wave of his hand.

'I thought I told you two to tape off the area?' he accused the two officers handling the bagged body. 'Do I have to do everything? As for you –'

'The first thing I'd like to mention is the blood stain. Let's not forget the sour smell and the puddle besides the victim's body. I'm actually surprised you've had to resort to interrogating the teachers and haven't had this case solved already.'

The Chief opened his mouth in an angry protest but was silenced before he could say anything. Something about Kyo, perhaps his air of confidence, seemed to quiet the Chief.

'Before you waste any time doubting us, let's go back to the blood stain.'

'Spit it out already' growled the chief. He was listening attentively now.

'Hold it, hold it. Now that I think of it, you don't even know the motive of this murder yet do you? Why don't I start from the very beginning and offer a likely speculation? I assure you I have proof' he added before the Chief could interrupt.

'Unlike you, officer, I go to this school. Nothing gets past these eyes of mine' he said with a grin. 'For a while now, I've noticed the victim Katey going to the washroom during class time almost regularly and one time … ' he trailed off to give his girlfriend a loving look.

'I was in the washroom when she rushed in and started throwing up all over the toilet' finished Rin.

'Yes, yes. And I've also noticed that she had been seeing a certain teacher a little more often than usual.'

'You can't mean a student-teacher affair?!' cried Ms. Ito.

'Ah, Bingo! That is exactly what I'm getting to. And that teacher is none other than you, Mr. Reki. You are the one who murdered Katey' declared Kyo.

'What did you say?! Do you know what kind of accusation you're making? Where's the proof?' shouted Mr. Reki angrily as he began to rise from his chair.

'Stay seated' commanded the Chief.

Kyo sighed. 'Sir, I just want to tell you that you're really quite stupid. The reason the room smells is because of lemon juice, but the reason the police didn't recognize it was because you planted a candle next to her when you killed her. That candle had two purposes.'

'Oh! That's right, that's what the smell is like! But why would there by lemon juice and a used candle?' asked a bewildered officer.

'Don't you have something to do?' interjected the Chief. He gave the officer a glare.

'If a body is sprayed with lemon juice prior to death and is further sprayed with water, heat will be produced to produce the illusion of an alternate time of death. I suppose you predicted that she'd been dead for a few hours now?' asked Kyo midly. 'Well, the candle here was to rid the air of the smell of the lemon and secondly, speed the rate of the victim's decay'.

'So what are you trying to say? I had an affair with my student and killed her?!' shouted Mr. Reki.

'Ah, but I never actually said that. I said 'Bingo! I was getting to that'. I only ever said that you were the killer.'

'What?! You …!' cried Mr. Reki.

'Stop. Stop talking if you still don't understand, she was pregnant and you killed her. And as I've already said, the key to this case is the blood stain. Everyone noticed the strange marking on it I hope? That mark is from when the murderer hid the body and left his glasses on the ground because it got in his way. If you want to prove it, just use the luminol test' shrugged Kyo. And with that said, he walked out the door with his girlfriend, hand in hand.

Sky smiled at this. Kyo was one of the few students in this school he considered to his equal, one of the few he called a 'friend'. He had deduced a similar theory in his mind before Kyo's appearance, but he was a bit disappointed that the fun was ruined already.

'NO!! You don't believe him do you? A student accusing me, a respected teacher? I'd never do that … he's clearly speaking nonsense!' shouted Mr. Reki as he started towards the door.

'Mr. Reki, could we please have your glasses for the test?' asked the Chief.

'It wasn't my fault! You don't understand!' protested Mr. Reki desperately, eyes wide. He was trembled as he said this. 'It wasn't my fault, it wasn't my fault! She had it coming to her!' he screamed madly now. His hands tugged his hair and he gritted his teeth as he stared down at the ground. 'It wasn't me, it wasn't me!' he repeated.

'Your glasses' demanded the Chief more sternly this time. He reached out with his hand.

Sky looked at Mr. Reki in disgust. What is he playing at, thought Sky. It's over for him. Talking stupid like this will just get him in deeper water. If he remained calm and built an alibi, he might still be able to come out of this innocent. After all, a student's speculation only meant so much. All he had to do was disrupt the evidence, some sort of accident, excuse … The officers at the scene clearly weren't the brightest of the bunch.

'NO! Damn it!' shouted Mr. Reki as he sprinted out the door towards the stair case.

'After him, you idiots!' shouted the Chief as he sprinted after the teacher.

Anger coursed through Sky. What pathetic behaviour. It was already disgusting enough to commit such a crime, but to lose in such an undignified manner. Pathetic.

'Well, if that's that, I think I'll be getting to class' declared Sky. 'We should find Kyo later and congratulate him on solving this case.' He made his way out of the classroom.

The others were still too stunned to move.

'I can' believe such a thing could happen' murmured Mr. Todo.

'I always trusted … we played Go every Friday …' said Mr. Shinta with a sad shake of his head.

'I hope that bastard gets what he deserves' shot Ms. Ito angrily. 'Something like this … and the best he could do was make excuses and run. He took a life and cared nothing for it' she spat. 'People like him … are better off dead.'

Sky made his way towards the bathroom. Despicable, he thought. Humans like him … don't deserve to live. He considered for a moment. He had ripped a page of the Death Note out last night. He had wanted to test to see if a page would function when separated from the note, and he needed to test the note at least one more time to ensure that the last time wasn't a coincidence. The situation was perfect. Mr. Reki was at the age where a heart attack wouldn't seem strange, especially considering the situation he was in right now. Nobody would complain either, he'd be sentenced for life for such a murder. Why not save them the trouble?

With that thought, Sky retrieved the piece of a page he had ripped from the Death Note and wrote: Sakodo Reki. A smile crept over Sky's face. Killing trash like him brought a certain amount of satisfaction he had never experienced before. His decision was made. Many more names would be written.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three – Similar Minds; Who is it

**Chapter Three – Similar Minds; Who is it?!**

Excitement coursed through Sky's veins all afternoon. He had longed to be able to seek silence in the comforts of his quiet room all day now that he was ready to act. The day at school had seemed to move slower than any other; he was home now though. It was time to begin his homework: designing his new world.

Sky knew he would have to plan carefully. He still only had a rough idea of what he wanted to do with the Death Note. What are my goals?

My goal is to change the world and rule as an adequate god, he answered himself. He would create a perfect world, a world with order. It couldn't stay the way it was.

Day after day, people died. The past two days were prime examples. People died, were killed and forgotten. Wars are waged and more people die. And why? Why were humans so foolish? Sky had found his answer long ago. Every time he wondered and analyzed the world around him, there was always one answer: God had failed. God never punished those who killed. God never gave the people hope. God let the world continues its spiralling course towards destruction. People would become more corrupt as the day went by.

The perfect world Sky envisioned was blurry at best, but silent and peaceful. He closed his eyes. He realized that he wasn't sure what type of world he wanted after all. Creating a perfect world wouldn't be easy. Was it possible for anything to be perfect? There were however, two things that he was certain of: He hated the world as it was now, the world was crumbling and noisy. He wanted peace.

To become a God meant to demand authority. He would begin by making himself known to the world. First, he would clear the world of crime. Sky would demonstrate his powers as a God and punish those who so wrongly challenged the laws. That was the first step, to earn the trust of the people and to silence those who would continue to contaminate it. Criminals and thieves would not be apart of his new world. Soon thereafter, he would begin imposing himself on bigger targets. He would show the world that no one was safe from god; no one who disrupted his world would be permitted to be a part of it. Everyone would soon know that a god existed. After depleting himself of simple criminals he would begin on terrorists and those who promoted war. That included the world's leaders, presidents and other decision makers. Soon he would move on to target companies. With those pieces removed or held in check, the world would be subjected to his very will. Once that had been achieved, the world would have been paved perfectly for him to begin reconstruction. He would impose new laws and philosophies upon the world. He would begin building it again.

With that decided, he swivelled on his computer chair to switch on his computer monitor. The monitor cast a bright hue across the room; Sky had neglected to turn on any lights. He preferred the silence that darkness brought him.

He clicked on the news page with his mouse and scanned the internet for articles. A smile crept over his face as his eyes locked onto the headline: '_Man 23 years old convicted of sexual assault.'_ Time to begin.

'Hey, Sky, check this out' spoke Jack. 'Look at this.' He pointed towards his computer screen. They were sitting at the school library the next day during a period two spare. Sky, Jack, Patrick and Kyo sat together at the far end of a row of about fifteen computers. The library was fairly empty at the time and apart from a couple students studying at the tables behind them, they were alone.

_Thirty three Convicted Criminals fall Victim to sudden Heart Attack_

Jack scrolled down the page. 'Crazy isn't it?' he asked Sky. 'There are already at least five different articles written about this. There are people saying that it's the work of some god.'

Sky fought hard to keep himself from smiling. The public had taken notice already.

'But that's messed up. 33 people were killed just like that!' exclaimed Sky, a frown on his face. He turned back towards his computer and entered the website that Jack was looking at.

Jack shrugged. 'They were criminals. They probably got what they deserved. Maybe if this continues to happen, people will stop committing crimes. I wouldn't want something like what happened yesterday to happen again ...'

'I wonder how someone managed to pull that off?' asked Kyo from behind them.

'Someone? It's clearly the work of some greater power. 33 people don't just suddenly die of a heart attack over night' scoffed Sky.

'Sorry, but I don't believe in God. Or at least, not in that way. This was almost definitely planned' responded Kyo.

'When did this happen?' asked Patrick from beside Jack.

'Just last night apparently' responded Jack as he continued to scroll down articles and open new ones. 'It's a hot topic, I've never seen so many people comment before.'

'That's a strange coincidence, isn't it? Didn't Mr. Reki die of a heart attack moments before the officers caught up to him yesterday?' pointed out Kyo.

Sky cast Kyo a furtive look. Perhaps he shouldn't have acted so hastily yesterday.

'What are you getting at, Kyo' laughed Sky. 'That someone in our area's responsible for this? Come on, how could any human be responsible? It's impossible.'

'You're probably right, Sky' agreed Kyo suddenly. 'Whoever did this probably isn't human.'

'Still though, does it matter if some did it? People like this are better off dead' interrupted Jack.

'It would matter, if a person really was responsible. It would make them a murderer' pointed out Kyo. 'Well, we'll each have our own opinion on it I guess. I just wanted to share mine' he smiled.

Sky hesitated before writing down names that night. He gripped his pen tightly and had it an inch from the smooth paper. The Death Note was an unbelievable tool, but he had to use it with caution. He had been too careless lately. If Kyo heard about the salesman that died outside of his house too, he would no doubt be suspected. Still, what could Kyo possibly deduce from these deaths? Surely something unnatural was responsible – Sky had wanted it to be that way. He purposely killed with heart attacks to ensure that the world would acknowledge a single presence. However, Kyo had no way of knowing how these deaths had happened. What kind of normal person could fathom the idea of a notebook capable of killing? No, he was safe he told himself. Besides, Kyo was his friend, he wouldn't suspect him so easily. He had realized that about people. People were taught to trust their friends, to believe in them and help them. Society had programmed everyone that way. It made things easier for the corrupt to take advantage of the good. It was the reason Sky had never trusted anybody but himself.

There was however, another issue that he had to address. It would be suspicious to kill criminals that appeared only on his news. He would have scour the web for news articles from various countries and ensure that they were brought to justice as well. At the same time, judging criminals at the same time every night would be foolish. He would specific different times of death from now on. He wasn't going to be caught. The world would be his.

_Judgement continues: 14 criminals die of Heart Attack_

Sky was shocked the next day when Jack and the others read the news during their spare. 14? There was something wrong with that number. Realization dawned upon Sky. His pulse quickened and his hands began to sweat. He lips were dry and he licked them. He could barely hear Jack and the others talking about the day's news. He had become oblivious to the computer screen in front of him. He gritted his teeth as he recalled what he had done last night; he had only judged seven criminals.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four – The Beginning of a Year; Chosen

**Chapter Four – The Beginning of a Year; Chosen**

He slammed his bedroom door as he got home and threw his school bag violently into a corner. It smashed against the wall and thudded as it fell against the floor. He kicked off his shoes and turned his computer chair around with such force that it spun twice before he stopped it and sat down. Sky placed his hands to his face and cursed himself. Anger consumed him.

That can't have been a coincidence! Why didn't he consider that there was more than one Death Note in existence? How arrogant! How stupid!

He looked up and brought his fist smashing down to his desk. Was I arrogant in assuming that I was the only with a note? That I was the only one with the power to reshape the world?

It was a mistake he wouldn't make again. He had been making too many mistakes these past few days, his campaign had gone off to a terrible start. For the fraction of a moment Sky considered giving up. Was I fit to do such a thing? Am I the right person, to decide something so grand? These thoughts were soon dashed however, as he shook his head. Don't think like that he told himself. Resolution and confidence is absolutely necessary. I'm too easily shaken. Once again, I've fallen prey to weakness. I will find this other user, he decided. And I'll crush him.

Just then, out of the corner of his eyes he saw the blinds of his window flutter. The window was closed. He quickly pivoted on his chair and looked around the room. Nothing was there.

'You haven't written any names today' said a low, dry voice from behind him.

Sky turned around again, only let out a scream and roll backwards on his chair. He stared at the entity that hung upside down from his ceiling above his computer desk: a humanoid figure nearly six feet tall was standing, feet planted on Sky's ceiling. It wasn't human. It had large, tattered wings folded behind its back and unnaturally long fingers were scratching its head. It's head. Sky couldn't stop staring at it. The thing's face was heavily scarred and long flowing grey hair dangled from its head. Its eyes glowed a crimson red as it studied Sky, who's expression registered nothing but shock and horror.

'W-W-What are you?' stammered Sky in an unnaturally high voice.

For a moment the thing said nothing. Then it pulled out a notebook that had been clutched in one of its folded wings. Death Note.

'Death Note?' murmured Sky as his eyes read the title of the notebook. 'Then …'

The entity opened the notebook and brought its right hand to the notebook, an unnaturally long nail making contact with the page.

'Hey. What's your name?' it asked.

Sky laughed at this question. 'Sadoko Reki' he answered.

The creature grinned, exposing long jagged teeth. 'I knew it. Good job on passing my test' congratulated the creature. 'I am Kark. A Shinigami.'

'I'm sorry to say that it wasn't much of a test, Kark' said Sky as he flipped open his own notebook and placed the tip of his pen on it.

'Oh? And what do you think you're doing?' demanded Kark.

'You have a Death Note. And I have a Death Note. I want some answers' warned Sky as he wrote a K on to the Death Note.

The Shinigami cackled. 'You're an interesting fellow' said Kark as he dropped off the ceiling and landed perfectly on his feet. He leaned forward and looked Sky face to face, barely an inch away. 'But don't think that you can threaten me' it said in a suddenly serious tone.

'I'd back away if I were you' said Sky as he wrote the next two letters of Kark's name. The Shinigami cackled again as the pen slid smoothly over the paper of Sky's note.

'There's no need to be so hostile,' Kark said icily. 'You can't kill me that way.' Nevertheless, Kark took a step back and straightened up. 'But ask me what you want. After all, you're my pick.'

'You're pick?' asked Sky. 'What's that suppose to mean?' Sky narrowed his eyes at Kark. He hadn't taken the pen off the notebook.

'Write the last letter if you want. I've already told you it won't do anything to me.'

'Tell me what you're talking about. What do you mean by, 'you're my pick'?' demanded Sky.

'You've been chosen. You're my player. Well, I didn't choose you. You just happened to pick up the notebook' explained Kark.

'You talk about me as if I'm a part of some game.'

'That's because you are. You're my player. The goal of the game for you is to kill as many humans as you can. Well, that's you're goal. Mine was simply to pick the best player and watch. The Shinigami who picks the player that kills the most humans wins the game.'

'There are more of you?' Sky asked. It made sense now, why there was more than one notebook.

'There are three' replied Kark, and he raised three fingers to show Sky. 'Of course, the game isn't that simple. Not for you.' Kark dropped one finger. 'The number of kills are counted by the notebooks. Look at your last page.'

Sky flipped the notebook and opened it. He scanned the page until he saw the number 0 in bottom left corner.

'That's your kill counter. The human who kills the more humans wins and so does the Shinigami that picked the human. But the game isn't that simple' cackled Kark.

'What do you mean?'

'It doesn't matter which notebook the human ends up with, so long as he holds the notebook with the most kills. Therefore, if you were to kill the other two users you would be guaranteed a victory. I'm telling you this, because the other Shinigami are sure to have told their players as much as they could to ensure they the game. They would definitely have suggested this to their players. Therefore, the other two will likely try to kill you.'

'Then … there are two others I must kill …' Sky grinned. 'That's fine with me. One of them has already gotten in my way. I have a question however. You said that the notebooks recorded the number of people killed. Why is my counter still 0?'

'That's because the counter won't start until the Shinigami approaches his player and confirms the pick. If you write a name now, the counter will run.'

'Why was I picked? Why did you pick me?' asked Sky suddenly.

'Didn't you hear me earlier? You weren't. You picked up the notebook from the player I had originally planned to pick. But I knew that he would lose me the game, so I forfeited the pick.'

'And you just left the notebook lying there, instead of giving it someone else?' Sky laughed. 'I very much doubt that would have had any chance at winning this game if any human other than me had picked it up.'

'Don't be so full of yourself, human' growled Kark as he dropped a second finger. He pointed at Sky. 'A Shinigami isn't allowed to touch the notebook once it has fallen into human hands. It belongs to you now, until you die or the game is over.'

'Are there any other rules I should be aware of, then?' asked Sky.

'We Shinigami don't like being bored,' grinned Kark. 'Therefore we've decided on a time limit. You have one year to win the game.'

'And how will we know who the winner is?'

'The winner will know. He'll be the only one who lives. We will kill the losers by writing their names into our Death Notes' cackled Kark. 'And of course, there are other rules, but frankly, to go over them all would be quite boring. Unlike the other two, I don't care too much about winning. Rather, I'd like to see something interesting come out of this game. That's why I told you the actual rules. The other two would most likely tell their players that the human who obtains all three notes would win, because it's the most efficient way. But I'll gave you a choice didn't I? I told you the real rules. You don't have to kill the other two if you don't want to.'

'How do I know you're not lying? You just told me you would rather see something interesting than simply try and win. How do I know you're not trying to manipulate me?' asked Sky even though he knew the answer. He wouldn't be able to know. Whether Kark tells me that he's been truthful or lying makes no difference. Words are only words. The only time I'll know the truth is in a years time. That damn Shinigami. Now I'll be forced to play his game, whether or not his rules are real.

Kark laughed. 'You don't, do you? What I answer doesn't matter does it, human? But enough talk. I don't want to talk with you all day, I'd rather let the game be started already. So I'll make things interesting. Instead of telling you the rest of the rules, I'll let you ask me three questions and I'll be complete honest in answering them. They don't have to be related to the game.'

Sky smiled, but his insides were actually churning. This damn Shinigami! He's playing with me, he thought. The humiliation was almost too much to bear. With only three questions, he would have to decide carefully. He looked carefully at Kark's eyes as he thought. Sky didn't know whether or not there even were anymore rules. If he asked about that, he might be wasting a question. At the same time, if there were more, he needed to ask the right ones. Again however, it might be more beneficial to ask about the other players he needed to kill. The problem was how the Shinigami would answer. He mistrusted it.

'Come on now, Sagara Sky. Don't bore me with all this waiting.'

Sky's eyes widened. How did Kark know his real name?

'You knew my real name without having to ask and I doubt a Shinigami would resort to investigating a human. Therefore it must be some sort of power or trick that only a Shinigami has or isn't written in the notebook's rules. How can I obtain this ability?'

'I knew I was correct in choosing you, Sky. I'll tell you: every Shinigami' has the ability to see a human's full name and lifespan above their head. In other words, all I have to do to find out a person's name is to look at them. This would also let me know how long they have to live. If a person knew, they'd be able to determine the future in a way wouldn't they, being able to guess when someone would die? It would enhance your killing ability nicely. I can grant you this power rather painlessly if you so wish it, all you have to do is ask, Sky. There is a cost however' grinned Kark merrily.

So, he wants me to waste another question asking about what the cost is. Sky's hatred for the Shinigami was stronger than that which he had ever experienced. He wouldn't ask however. The way the Kark had attempted to tempt him by selling the ability like that made it sound too good to be true. There was no doubt that such a power would hold a great cost. He wouldn't waste a second question on that.

'The other two may have made the deal and obtained the power, Sky. It would be a pity for you now to ask for it.'

Sky ignored him and asked his second question, 'How can I kill a Shinigami?'

Kark laughed madly. 'Interesting question! You'll be happy to hear I'm one of the few Shinigami who know, although I don't see how this will help you win the game. I'll tell you however. A human can't kill a Shinigami. It isn't possible. That's why I found it so funny when you attempted to me threaten me with the Death Note. Think about it! A human, killing a Shinigami – with a Death Note!' Kark began to stumble across the room as he roared with laughter.

Sky waited patiently for Kark to regain control of himself, but burned with anger nonetheless. The stupid Shinigami was wasting his time. It continued to mock him …

'The only way for a Shinigami to die, is for him to stop writing in the Death Note. Otherwise, the only time it happens is when a Shinigami attempts to lengthen a human's life span. That's why the three of us don't have to worry about cheating in this game. If one of us were to help the player we picked by lengthening their life span, we'd die. So don't get your hopes up human. You're stuck playing this game. Now that you have the note, you'll be killed in a year's time if you're not the winner. And don't bother trying to pass ti on. Any attempts to forfeit the game will result in your death.'

'I had no intentions of quitting' replied Sky. 'Now this is my final question – what are the names of the other players in the game?'

'Unfortunately, I can't answer that. Even if I could, I'd probably lie to you despite what I said about answering truthfully' cackled Kark. 'We aren't allowed to reveal the name of our players to one another for precisely this reason. I'm surprised that this is your last question. You didn't ask me about any rules.'

'If there were any that were life threatening, you would have mentioned them already like you did the time limit. You want to watch an interesting game; having me die for ignoring a rule wouldn't be much fun would it? Therefore I knew that you had already covered the major rules I'd have to follow. The remaining ones I can test for myself.'

'Good … good. Well, Sky, it seems it wasn't wrong of me to screw up my first pick after all. Good luck, and give us an interesting game to watch … Sky!' said Kark as he unfolded his wings and dove through the roof and into the skies.

Sky continued to sit for a moment. So he was now part of a game. He was again, submitted to another's will. He gritted his teeth. Did they really think that he would submit so easily? This game … No … He was nobody's chess piece. But he would win this game. Not simply to live, but to eliminate the threat of the other two existing notebooks. He would be the only one with the power to rule. And he would show those wretched Shinigami that even a human, could be something of a god.


End file.
